


Mission on Neutral Soil

by DixieDale



Category: Garrison's Gorillas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-11
Updated: 2018-07-11
Packaged: 2019-06-08 16:10:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15246975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DixieDale/pseuds/DixieDale
Summary: They all accepted the missions were dangerous, that each time they went out, something could go wrong.  A mission in Germany, that they were used to.  A mission in German-occupied territory, or in a country allying itself with Germany, well, that too. Each job had its own set of perils.  But somehow they found the missions involving neutral countries had their own pitfalls, ones you wouldn't necessarily consider.  After all, Lisbon still gave them shudders to think of that mess!  Now, Switzerland - Land of chocolate, pastry, clocks and banks.  What could go wrong?  Just ask Casino!  No, not exactly WHAT could go wrong, but he was laying strong odds that SOMETHING was going to go wrong.  Maybe someday Garrison was actually going to start listening to the man!





	Mission on Neutral Soil

**Author's Note:**

> War years, some time after TV Episode 'Deadly Masquerade'.

Colonel Mallory explained the situation to Lieutenant Garrison. "Justine Burgin, French-educated, mother was French, father is Swiss. Claus Burgin, was, still is, a close friend to a major German industrialist, Herr Wolfgang Schmidt. They worked on some projects together, and Herr Schmidt entrusted her father with his notebooks to keep along with Burgin's own for safekeeping. According to Miss Burgin, the Germans are using their findings to create a new nerve gas; we don't know the components, don't know how to protect against it or counteract it. Supposedly it can be used on the battle field, as well as being dropped from airplanes onto the civilian population."

"We MUST have those notebooks, Garrison! She says the nerve gas was one of the last projects they worked on together, that her father says it's all outlined in some of those notebooks - components, how to manufacture it, possible methods of delivery, EVERYTHING! It's all in a safe deposit box in Switzerland. The Swiss are most adamant in their neutrality; there is no way they'll just give us access to the contents of a private safe deposit box in one of their banks, and her father is not going to cooperate either. She, on the other hand, believes Hitler must be stopped, has proven useful to us in one or two other little matters. She will meet you in Geneva. Here is what we know . . ."

Actor was reluctant. Oh, not about the necessity for countering that nerve gas, not in the least. But "Switzerland, Craig? Robbing a bank in a neutral country has a different, well, connotation than doing the same in a country we are at war with. If we are caught, HQ will NOT support us; there is too much political and diplomatic tension right now."

"I know, but HQ thinks those notebooks are worth the risk," ignoring the looks the guys were giving each other, along with the mutter from Casino, "the risk to US, not them!" 

Actor nodded.

"And it doesn't help that they're none too pleased with the Swiss military shooting down our airplanes, or forcing them to land at Swiss landing fields. Yeah, I know, the Swiss are doing the same to the German planes that violate their airspace, but still . . ."

Actor's face was grim, "it certainly didn't endear the Allies to the Swiss government when that bomber group supposedly mistook their navigational bearings and dropped their bombs on Swiss soil! Swiss civilians were caught up in that, many died, and I understand Hitler's propaganda ministry is having a field day with the whole matter."

Garrison looked at Actor, askance, "what? I haven't heard anything about that," and Actor sighed.

"Craig, you read the British and American newspapers, have your sources in London. They are, well, frequently misinformed, highly selective in what they allow to be made known, as well as being highly biased. My sources are rather more far-ranging. There are a goodly number of Allied pilots and crew members being held in Swiss camps for just such violations; the Swiss have been somewhat accepting these air-space violations as 'navigational accidents' until recently, been willing to release the men in some cases, but now? This latest bombing 'accident' due to faulty information or navigation has put a damper on that, especially since one of the sites destroyed was a factory well inside Swiss side of the border, reputedly the source for some essential German airplane parts. There are those who are questioning not only how the plant was managing THAT, in view of the neutrality, but also how the Allies just managed to 'accidentally' bomb that particular location. We will NOT find friendly ears if we get caught."

Garrison was looking particularly grim, "then we'd better not get caught!"

Justine Burgin met them at a small hotel on the outskirts of Geneva. A very attractive though not flashy blonde woman of maybe thirty, she was all business, dressed in a trim business suit and maintaining a suitably business-like demeanor. From a wide artists portfolio she pulled out blueprints and schematics - physical layout of the bank and surrounding buildings, wiring, and much else.

For once, they didn't have to contend with an unknowledgeable contact trying to run the show; she just handed things over and sat back, answering questions when they were asked, making note of the additional information she was asked to provide, but otherwise staying in the background. She hadn't tried to make friends, hadn't tried to get close to any of them; in fact, had looked rather bewildered when Casino had tried to flirt, and Actor had tried his charm. She hadn't seemed offended, just obviously wondering why they were wasting everyone's time with such nonsense. She hadn't offered advice, just continued to provide valuable support.

The only stipulation was that she went in with them, which they argued against, but her firm, "you must understand! Those journals, I am risking EVERYTHING to make sure they get into the right hands! It is not that I do not trust you, gentlemen, but . . .," all with a knowing shrug. "And I promise, once we are inside, I will give you the keys and I will stay totally out of your way!"

In the end, Garrison gave in. The safe deposit box as she described it required three keys; while Casino could, if he had time, finagle all three separate locks, it would cut into the very slender time margin they had available between tours of the guards, and Justine revealed that one key her father had hidden within that vault his last trip, and No, she wouldn't tell them where, but would produce it once they were inside. She DID have the second key, one she had managed to 'retrieve' from Herr Schmidt during a recent visit, so once they were in, Casino would still have to open the main vault cage, then blow the heavy steel door to the safe deposit box room, but then would have only the one lock to manage on the safe deposit box itself. 

Even Casino admitted there just wasn't time for him to manage it all, not with the time they had, not without at least ONE of the two keys she promised, and only with having BOTH of those keys was there any margin should anything go wrong.

"And I'm tellin ya now, Warden, somethin's gonna go wrong! I can just feel it!" he groused.

Well, Casino ALWAYS thought something was going to go wrong; just because he was usually right, Garrison never let that slow them down too much. Especially now, with everything riding on the success of their mission; HQ had gotten back with them right before they left; seems the Germans were intending to include some of the nerve gas in the 'gift packages' they had in mind for London in strikes right after the first of the year. Time was essential.

They were in the last stages of preparation. The bag with Casino's equipment and supplies was sitting just inside the door, everyone was scurrying into their proper clothes, making sure they had everything in order. Goniff was still pouting just a little at just how ungrateful Garrison had been earlier, how unappreciative of his willingness to 'take one for the team'. Justine had seemed not as wary of him as she had of the others, and earlier he'd offered to make the supreme sacrifice, try to fiddle the location of that second key out of Justine by way of a little pillow-talk, along with maybe snaffling the first one along the way.

"All in the line of duty, Warden! Aint like I'd get any pleasure outta the doing, you know!" with a look so pious Casino had slapped him across the back of his head.

"Yeah, right! Well, if anyone has a chance of sweet talking that dame outta the keys, it sure wouldn't be you, you miserable little . . ." and Chief was getting one of his rare almost-smiles on his face. Somehow, Garrison just hadn't seemed as appreciative of that offer as he should have been, in Goniff's estimation, and Casino was just being plain rude! Actor was ignoring the entire byplay, his own attempt at a little sweet talk having come to naught; he just wasn't used to that happening, and it had caused him to take a fast worried look into the mirror. 

Now, all of them waiting for Casino to open that cage, then the door to the safe deposit room, all eyes were on the safecracker, well, except for Chief and Garrison who were guarding the entrance. Once inside, Justine handed over one key, then scurried to the side of the room and then was back with a second key.

"There, my part of the bargain."

She moved far back out of the way, just as she had promised, and Casino started on that third lock. It didn't take long, he inserted the other two keys and lifted the long lid.

"Right like she said, Warden," he exclaimed, pulling out a stack of small notebooks, bundling them into his jacket.

Goniff had been dividing his attention between watching Casino, watching the doorways and occasionally letting his attention drift to the attractive woman who'd led them to this bank in the first place. He let just a flicker of a smile cross his face as he moved his gaze from her, back to the action at the safe deposit box. He rather liked her, decided she reminded him a lot of himself. Though he wasn't so fond of what he saw in himself, in someone else, yes, he could appreciate what he saw there. Unassuming, not trying to push or act important, trying to be helpful, trying to please - yes, and quite a bit more too. He'd make a point of getting a little closer to her once they left here, at least once, well, maybe more than once. He figured he had time.

When they DID all part company, they each could truly tell themselves they'd had a successful mission. Justine gave them each a hearty handshake, except for Goniff, who got a light kiss on the cheek and a gurgling "au revoir, cherie; it was fun, non?", much to the shock of the other guys.

It was only in the sub, headed back home, they heard Garrison cursing. Since that wasn't the norm, they stopped their bickering and gathered around the flush-faced Lieutenant.

"Craig, is there something wrong?" Actor asked with a frown. Garrison just handed him a folded slip of paper.

"It was inside the first journal! Read it!" 

Actor read it to himself, snickered in spite of himself, and then read it out loud.

"Merci, boys! I could never have done it without you! Oh, by the way, if it will make you feel any better, my father and Herr Schmidt ARE friends; however, neither of them would have any clue about how to go about formulating a nerve gas or anything else in that line. In their collaborations they focused solely on creating synthetic gems; the journals may help if you are trying to do something similar, though I have never noticed any appreciable level of success on their part. If the Germans are planning the manufacture of nerve gas, I certainly have no knowledge of it. You certainly have my permission to tell your good Colonel that, if you choose."

"The safe deposit box I took the liberty of opening while you were otherwise occupied with the one with the journals? That one contained their 'models', actual gems of remarkable purity and luster, in a variety of sizes and cuts that they were trying to duplicate. Absolutely lovely, especially the emeralds, although the rubies are nothing to sneer at, certainly! And the diamonds??! Exquisite! Far too nice to hand over to Hitler as my father and Herr Schmidt intended! Again, my heartfelt thanks. Til we meet again. Justine". 

"And just how are we going to explain THIS?"

It took a long session with a lot of heartfelt cursing and then a few rueful laughs to figure out - better off not explaining, just handing over the journals, along with Justine's apologies if it turned out she had been mistaken in their contents. After all, that's what they were sent to retrieve, well, more or less. Hopefully HQ would never figure it out. One thing they were sure of, letting Colonel Mallory know he'd been made a fool of, right along with them? That just wasn't a good idea!

Back in the Common Room they were brooding, all wondering at being taken so totally off guard, letting themselves be conned like that. Well, almost all. He'd waited while Actor bemoaned the whole affair, while Chief just looked glum, and Casino swore a little.

Finally, noticing the one hold-out, Casino grumped, "and you, ya dumb Limey? You aint just a little pissed at her making clowns of us all?"

Goniff let his face slide into that shit-eating grin he got that just made them want to smack him one, "well, not so much, Casino. After all, she did a ruddy good job of it; didn't catch on til it was most over, I didn't!"

Their jaws dropped and he reached inside his tunic to dump the pouch out onto the tabletop so the sparkling contents could be seen and gloried over.

"Left 'er a good 'alf of the lot; didn't seem fair 'er putting in all that effort and not coming out with SOMETHING. Still, should add a tidy bit to those special accounts, wouldn't you say, Actor?"

Downstairs in the office, trying to figure how to write up THIS little disaster, Garrison heard the roar of laughter and just shook his head. "Those guys!" Sometimes he just had to wonder what they found to be so damned amused about!


End file.
